Improved ore-concentrator and amalgamator



ltlttrd tait- @tutti @mira4 JOHN STRICKER BRADFORD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Letters Patent No. 95,640, dated October 12, 1869.

IIVPROVED ORE-CONCENTRATOR .AND .AMALG-AMATOR.

The Schedule referred to in these Lettera Patent and making pari: of the same.

v reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

making part of this specification, viz:

Figure 1 is an outside vertical surface view, showing upper and lower sections of cylinder, numbered 1 and 2.

Figure 2 is an inside vertical view, showing open concentrating-chamber e, and reachy of wheel-arms,

with (when the valve h' and the water-discharge w are closed) the entire lower section of the cylinder in a smooth and unbroken surface to the concentratingchamber.

Figure 3 shows construction of wheel-arms, the

sections alternating in their strokes, and applicable to the machine for both concentration and amalgamationpurposes.

Figure 4 show s a combination of two concentrators.

Figure 5 shows inside vertical view of the machine as anainalgarnator, conforming in construction in all respects to the concentrator, except in the omission or closing of the waste-valve h and the Water-discharge w, and in the substitution ofthe valve-discharge a: in place of the concentrating-chamber e.

Practical dimensions, (to which, however, I do not confine myselfz) diameter, four feet, edge-width, sixteen inches.

a a a a, inside circumference of cylinder.

b, axle of concentrating-wheel.

c, orefeed, and, in iig. 5, ore and mercury-feed.

d, water-feed.

e, concentrating-chamber. f f f f, wheel-arms.

g, ore-waste.

h, waste-valve.

fi, section-hinge.

j, section-lock. l n

n n', in iig. l, water-tightsection-joint. y

fr r 'r lr, in g. 3, sections of wheel-arms, moving in close proximity to the sides and insidecircumference of the cylinder, and alternating' in their contact with and displacement of the charge of pulverized ores.

s, in fig. 1, lock .of concentrating-chamber.

w, water-discharge.l

a, in iig. 5, valve amalgamation-discharge.

fv, in fig. 5, valve-hinge, and y valve-lock.

My invention is designed as a concentrator for pnlverized ores, and as an amalgamator for all auriferous sulphuret and free-gold ores.

The cylinder, of the dimensions'above stated,'or of such other Ydimensions as may, by practical use, be found most desirable, being charged with` api-opor'- tional amount of pulverized ore, and water'let in to nearly the full capacity of the cylinder, the valve h and the water-discharge w being closed, the concen- I trating-wheel will be putin motion, andthe ore thoroughly washed, when w will be opened, and the water discharged to the level of w, taking oi the mud,

slime, and lighter particles of the ore; w will then be again closed, and Water again let in t nearly the full capacity of the cylinder, and the whe Yl be again put in motion, when, on the principle of gravitation, the heavierA particles o f the ore will be depositedin the concentrating-chamber c; the close action of the ends of the sections of the wheel-arms to the inside circumferencev of the cylinder, tending to withdraw from the chamber all lighter particles which may have lodged there, andwhich laction of the withdrawal of lighter particles may, when desired, be largely increased, by

constructing the arm-sections with hollow ends.

After the discharge of the ore-waste, the cylinder will again be charged with `ore and water, and thel same process performed and renewed until it is found necessary to remove and secure the contents of the concentrating-chamber, which, in working -auriferous quartz, would scarcely be oftener than once in four or five hours, and by which means, I think and.be lieve, that working a combination 0f two Vcolleenv.trators, as in fig. 4, discharging the waste of the first into the second, thereby more thoroughly working the ores, and having as a remainder 'the contents of the two chambers, some eight or tentons per day of pulverized quartz could beconcentrated to a residue of a very small percentage of its'originalv bulk, and prepared for economical amalgamation,`. which would be performed in the amalgamator, as'described in g. 5; the alternating sections of the wheel-arms, which passn close proximity to the sides and inside .circumference of the cylinder, forcing the mercuryint-o contact with the gold contained in the charge of concentratedore, so effectually that every particle must be taker'rup; and by this combination of concentration and amalgamation, economizing and siinplifyingthe working of auriferous ores, and obtaining the largest practicable results.

What I claim as` my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The construction and form of concentrator and, amalgamator, in the combination of all their parts,

and in the combination of the two as one machine,

either being convertible into the other, as before described in this specification.

. 2. The wheel-arms, in their alternating sections,

lconstructed alike for both.concenti'ation and amalgamation-purposes. v

3. The concentrating-chamber.

4. The waste, as arranged at h and g.

5. The water-discharge, as at 10.4

6. The valve-discharge, as at x, in the amalgamator, all constructed substantially as herein described, and for the purpose set forth, but not confining. myself 'to absolu-te dimensions or materials, or relative positions of the points of feed or discharge.

New York, August 3,1869.

` J. STRIGKER BRADFORD.

Witnessesi SAML. N. PARMALEE, HIRAM L. HUsroN. 

